Tonight I prepped the images for the opening of the RopeofSilicon 2009 Oscar Contenders section of the site and after the news came out that Guillermo Arriaga’s The Burning Plain is a strong contender for the Golden Lion at this year’s Venice Film Festival I had to prep an image for that one as well even though it hasn’t been picked up by a studio yet. The Telegraph review by David Gritten calls it “serious-minded and dramatic, with universal themes and a clutch of fine acting performances.” Gritten declares it the “front-runner for the Golden Lion” after only three days of festival going.
Over two weeks ago I brought you all the first looks at Charlize Theron and Kim Basinger in the film and today I noticed the film has shot up into the most viewed list on the site and it doesn’t even have a distributor or a release date yet. Apparently a few people have heard the word and are standing up to pay attention.
The film is written and directed by Guillermo Arriaga who penned such flicks as Amores Perros, 21 Grams and Babel. Gritten says, like most of Arriaga’s scripts, this one too bounces back-and-forth in time and the complex story “reveals itself gradually.”
The film centers on two storylines taking place in the past and present. Basinger plays Gina, the mother of Charlize Theron’s character as seen in childhood. Theron plays Sylvia, who tries to find common ground with her parents after a turbulent childhood. The two narratives eventually converge.
You can read the complete review right here. I only skimmed it until it looked like he was going to talk plot. Gritten says even though it is only three days into the fest, it “isn’t too early to suggest this film’s the one to beat.” Who knows, maybe we will see a quick pick-up and an Oscar push.
